


Book Buddies (:B

by CaffeinatedCopyeditor



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternian Language, F/F, Friendship, Meteorstuck, Mostly Fluff, POV Rose Lalonde, Rose and Karkat are friends, Some angst, and! a little plot!, background davekat, or they will be! This is a bonding fic!!! lets go!!!!!, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 21:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30044661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaffeinatedCopyeditor/pseuds/CaffeinatedCopyeditor
Summary: Your name is Rose Lalonde, and you are watching Karkat attempt to make a sandwich. You have been watching him do this for almost ten minutes and, so far, he has not had much luck.You are almost a full year into this little space voyage, and you have not spent much time with him, though you are not immediately surprised that he is struggling at such a menial task. You would be quite interested to see how long it would take him. However, you came here with a goal, so you are forced to abandon your careful watch.Today, you will acquire books.
Relationships: Rose Lalonde & Karkat Vantas, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Book Buddies (:B

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> I'm supposed to be working on assignments, as usual. I told myself I would write a lil one-shot, and put off writing the long fic that I actually want to write.  
> This turned into a two-shot, but close enough.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> Warnings for this one are all Homestuck-typical stuff, but just in case -Warnings (contains spoilers): References to Alternian justice system, mentions of deaths and cullings, references to complex parental relationships and to dead parents.

Your name is Rose Lalonde, and you are watching Karkat attempt to make a sandwich. You have been watching him do this for almost ten minutes and, so far, he has not had much luck.

You are almost a full year into this little space voyage, and you have not spent much time with him, though you are not immediately surprised that he is struggling at such a menial task. You would be quite interested to see how long it would take him. However, you came here with a goal, so you are forced to abandon your careful watch. 

Today, you will acquire books.

‘Hello, Vantas.’

You almost laugh at the way Karkat yelps, turning to face you with one swift motion. 

‘Lalonde? Fuck, could you be any creepier? You’d swear there were two rainbow-drinkers on this rock.’

‘Maybe there are,’ you grin. ‘Might I ask you for a favour?’

Karkat scowls, but gestures you towards the kitchen table as he abandons his sandwich in favour of a shitty coffee. You smile gratefully, though you know he has nothing better to do tonight. Dave is busy being fitted for new clothes with Kanaya.

Which is also why you have nothing better to do, but you aren’t going to mention that.

‘What do you want, then?’ Karkat asks gruffly, sitting across from you.

He’s holding his mug so hard that his nails leave little half-moon scratches in the paint. Curious. You have not spent an awful lot of time alone with Karkat, but you had not expected him to be afraid of you. 

‘Kanaya mentioned that you have a somewhat large collection of Alternian literature. I’ve finished her books, and was hoping you might lend me some of yours,’

‘Oh,’ he says, looking surprised and relieved. ‘I didn’t know you could read Alternian.’

You can’t help but smile a little smugly at that one. You detect that there is a certain note of admiration in his voice – he’s impressed. He should be. Learning Alternian has been fucking hard.

‘Oh, I’ve picked up a word or two,’ you say, trying for nonchalant. ‘It’s a beautiful language.’

It’s a difficult language, and every other letter seems to have contextual connotations related either to war or clowns. But the compliment seems to perk Karkat up a bit.

‘Well if that’s the case, I can definitely lend you some,’ he starts to de-captchalogue a series of well-worn paperbacks. ‘Do you have requests, or do you want recommendations?’

You can tell that he’s itching to offer you something specific, but you had something else in mind.

‘Actually, a few of Kanaya’s volumes were by the same writer. Trowil Sithim. I should like to read a more of his works.’

Karkat freezes. He’s looking at you as though you’ve just ground your heel into his crabdad’s ashes. You graciously refrain from rolling your eyes, and wait to see if this is a genuine complaint or just another Karkat rant. You like him well enough, but you have learnt by now that he is always dramatic, and it is only sometimes justified.

‘Did Dave put you up to this? How did he find out?’ Karkat asks eventually, giving you the side-eye.

You are genuinely confused.

‘No? I do not think he has read any of Trowil’s works, and doubt he would be able to. Is something the matter with this choice?’

Karkat stares you down for a long moment. His grey pupils, lost in an ocean of lemon-curd yellow, are mottled with suspicion. You have done a lot of things that would warrant suspicion but, in this instance, you honestly cannot figure out why he is so concerned. 

Eventually, he seems to take your bafflement as a form of innocence.

‘Fine,’ he growls, beginning to stack a few of the books that litter the table. ‘Here’s my collection of, uh, of Trowil’s crime-romance series. _Crimson Crime_. I have all seven, so I swear if you ruin any of them I will personally spill nail polish on every one of your electronic devices.’

‘Duly noted,’ you smile, genuinely excited. ‘Perhaps we could discuss them when I am finished.’

‘Yeah, maybe,’ Karkat says, breaking out into a smile for the first time in this conversation. ‘Actually, I’d like that.’

-

This series is _fascinating_.

It follows a rust-blood named Kamart who is part of a crime syndicate, buying and selling uncommon blood-colours to use as rare paint pigments. She falls in love with Terean, another member of the group. In book three, in a shocking twist, Terean is revealed to be a lime-blood. This love interest is immediately culled, but returns as ghost to protect her true love.

In the fourth book, they introduce a Kismesis, and together the three of them try to both avoid the law, and break away from their lives of crime. You love it. The ending, where the ghost ascends to a different plane in perfect parallel with the living pair ascending to the fleet, made you cry. It was beautifully written.

You had thought Karkat only read trashy romance, and whilst at its core the _Crimson Crime_ series has elements of trash, the plot is really engaging. 

‘So you liked it, then?’ Karkat asks, when the two of you finally sit down to talk it through.

He’s managed to acquire tea from somewhere, and its actually really good. You're in Kanaya’s room, because she’s the only one who’s bothered to decorate, and book meetings require cosy spaces. You get the feeling that he’s nowhere near as nonchalant about this as he’s pretending to be.

‘I did,’ you confirm. ‘Though, I do have a few issues with it.’

‘Issues?’ he gulps.

‘Yes. In book two, Jerain was clearly being set up as a morial to Kamart. I don’t know why that was abandoned, since I think the plot would have benefited from a few additional emotional discussions.’

Karkat nods, as though he’s taking your comment very seriously. 

‘True. Jerain was originally intended for that, but, uh, the author was worried that including a Cerulean Moirail would attract attention from the higher castes.’

‘Attention?’

‘The books were published illegally. Hence, the sympathetic limeblood,’ he grumbles. ‘That’s also why the titles are so ridiculously short. They had to be subtle.’

Ah. You had wondered about that. You are perfectly aware of Karkat’s situation, and had made the connection between his possession of these books and the mutant within them. Still, his response knocks you off guard.

‘I’m surprised, Karkat. I didn’t take you for the law-breaking type, buying contraband books.’

‘Oh, goodness me, you’re right,’ he replies, deadpan. ‘I wouldn’t want to give the drones a reason to cull me. Breaking the law would _totally_ make a difference, and would _definitely_ get me in trouble, which I would _never_ otherwise be in.’

‘Alright, alright’ you chuckle, holding your hands up in surrender. ‘I get your point.’

He nods, settling back into one of Kanaya’s seemingly endless throw-pillows. He’s in a pile of them, as is the way of trolls, whilst you have chosen to slump in a singular bean bag.

‘What else?’ he asks.

‘Huh?’

‘What else did you think about the book? I mean, come on Lalonde, you’re the most verbose person I know and that is saying something. Give me your best analysis. I’m all sound-sponges.’

You laugh again, and launch into your analysis of the ending. You're about half-way through when you realise you are actually having a nice time. Its not that those are rare, because Kanaya is wonderful company but, well…  
Kanaya loves it when you analyse things, because she likes to hear you talk, but you often get the sense that she isn’t all that interested in the actual words. And sometimes, that leads to you wondering whether or not she is actually interested in you, and whether you are really interested in her…it evolves into this whole thing. With Karkat, its simpler. He’s listening because he’s interested in the books, and in what you have to say about the books.

And its nice. 

Dave went from being your friend to your brother, and Kanaya went from being your friend to your…something else. Its pleasant to have a conversation that is entirely and enjoyably platonic.

‘We should do this again, sometime,’ you say, smiling at Karkat as you head out to train with Vriska.

He offers you a wickedly sharp grin.

‘We should. You need to read the rest of Sithim’s work.’

'I look forward to it.'  
-  
The second series you start, _In Which an Indigo Misses Her Lusus_ is the shortest in the collection. A trilogy of three slim volumes.

You are surprised when it makes you openly weep.

You have not thought about your mother for a long time. Or, more accurately, you have been trying very hard not to think about her for a long time. She is a difficult person to consider, for all her flaws, and you almost abandon the book due to the painful reminder it brings. 

Kalaxa, the indigo, does not like her Lusus. She is a serpent who is rarely home, and spends her days exploring the jungle biome in which her hive resides. It is only when the serpent fails to return home with food, that she realises how much she was reliant upon her.

Of course, as this is a troll book, the reliance is purely from a survival standpoint, with no reference to emotional needs. Also, since it is one of Karkat's books, there are three completely unnecessary romantic plotlines. It is the final chapter that breaks you, though. The conclusion is about the complexities of loving a Lusus, since the relationship between parent and child is so difficult to navigate. It gets a little preachy, to be honest, but you find yurself bringing up an old photo of your mom on your phone anyway.

She looks so happy.

You need to talk to someone, but dismiss Dave immediately. He has his own parent shit to work through, that you are not keen to dig into. Things with Kanaya are so delicate at the moment, and you worry that bringing up something like this would be a decidedly pale decision. There is really only one choice.

Tentacletherapist began pestering Carcingogeneticist

TT:  Hello, Karkat. 

TT:  I have just finished In Which an Indigo Misses Her Lusus.

TT: I have some questions, if that is okay?

CG:">OH FOR FUCKS SAKE.

CG: YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE STARTED WITH THAT FUCKING SHITSTORM OF A SERIES.

CG: LITERALLY THAT BULLCRAP IS SO SAD THAT I WOULD NOT TOUCH IT WITH THE SHARP END OF A POKE-STICK.

CG: BUT SURE, ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.

TT:  What do Lusi look like?

CG: OH.

CG: HANG ON GIVE ME A SECOND.

CarcinoGeneticist sent an attatchement.

TT:  Oh my.

TT: That is quite large.

CG: YEAH, THAT'S MY LUSUS.  
  
CG: THE ONE IN I.W.A.I.M.H.L IS SERPENTINE THOUGH, SO WOULD LIKELY BE MUCH SMALLER.

TT:  Thank you, that is most helpful.

TT:  Your Lusus looks happy.

CG: HE WAS.

TT: Do you miss him?

There is a long, long pause. You are very rarely afraid to ask personal questions, but you do wonder if you have overstepped.

TT:  I miss my mom, sometimes.

CG: I THINK THATS OKAY. I THINK ITS BETTER IF WE MISS THEM. AT LEAST THAT MEANS WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THEM.

CG: SO YEAH, I DO MISS HIM.

You swallow thickly. 

TT:  Thank you for the books, Karkat.

CG: NO WORRIES. THANKS FOR READING THEM.

\- 

You make your way through _The Cerulean’s Crest, The Tenfold Treasure,_ and your personal favourite _The Wizard’s Warship_. You notice, a few books into your binge, that the writing itself is actually pretty immature. All of the relationships are very chaste, and the violence is much less bloodthirsty that you’d expected. There’ is a lot of swearing, but also a lot of grammatical errors. On earth, something like this would never have been published. 

‘Sure,’ Karkat shrugs, when you bring it up. ‘They were written by a kid.’ 

‘Really?’ 

‘Yeah. I mean, its not like anyone in the fleet was writing novels. Most Alternian art is – uh, was made by people on Alternia.’ 

You must be pulling quite a face, because his standard-frown warps into his worried-frown. 

‘You okay there, Rose?’ 

‘Quite. I am just surprised, I suppose.’ You gnaw nervously on your lip. ‘They are particularly well written, compared to other Alternian literature I have read. I do not know if my own childhood writings ever reached that quality.’ 

Karkat shuffles awkwardly, avoiding your eyes. 

‘Fuck, his books aren’t that good. You don’t have to shit all over your own work just because its different. Besides, this guy barely ever left his hive. He had more time to practice writing because he rarely did anything else.’ 

‘Is that true?’ 

‘What, you think I’m a liar? Dude was a shut-in.’ 

‘How do you know?’ 

‘I just do, okay?’ He huffs. ‘Now, what was that you said about your own writing? Can I read it?’ 

\- 

‘Rose, if you don’t sit down I might be forced to chainsaw your legs off,’ Kanaya sing-songs sweetly. 

You sigh, and continue pacing. 

‘I will have you know, darling Kanaya, that my standing has a perfectly legitimate purpose.’ 

‘Which is?’ 

You flounder for a moment. 

‘Exercise,’ your reply, decisively. 

Kanaya laughs, and rolls over in her pile of pillows to face you. You do your best not to blush under her watchful gaze, and she tracks your path from wall to wall. You tell yourself this reaction is entirely because trolls have the eyes of a predator. It has nothing to do with the way she turns your stomach to butterflies. 

‘It’s peculiar,’ Kanaya hums. ‘I saw your brother practising the very same exercise earlier today, though he told me it was a sign of nerves in your species. Perhaps he was lying?’ 

‘Oh yes,’ you smirk, committing to the bit. ‘Dave is quite the liar. He was probably training, as I am.’ ‘I see. This has nothing to do with Karkat reading your wizard book today, then?’ 

You freeze, and evidently pull a peculiar face, because Kanaya begins to laugh wholeheartedly. You love the way she laughs, like china breaking in slow motion. Elegant and destructive. 

‘Kanaya!’ you whine, flopping down onto the pillows beside her. ‘If you already knew, then why the games?’ 

‘Because life is a game…quite literally, for us,’ Kanaya muses. ‘Plus, I like to see you blush.’ 

That just makes you blush harder. No fair. 

‘You aren’t usually this smooth,’ you mumble into a cushion. 

‘Dave has been giving me tips.’ 

‘That’s worse, somehow.’ 

She laughs again. 

‘There is nothing to worry about, Rose. Its only Karkat.’ 

You mumble something into the cushion, aiming for incoherency. You throw in a few actual words, like ‘shame’ and ‘literary genius’ to give the impression of real speech. In truth, you don’t really know what to say. 

You’ve never had a friend like this. You’ve had, and have, friends. John, Jade and Dave are still the most special people in your life, and you would never allow anything to sever that bond. Jade in particular has always been there for you, and her digital company was especially appreciated. 

But you’ve never had a friend _in person_. Or one who shares your hobbies quite so thoroughly. You would never admit to Karkat, because he is an arrogant loud-mouth at the best of times, but your really value his opinion. 

You get a message notification. And then another one. You groan into the cushion. 

‘Do you plan on answering that?’ Kanaya asks, innocently. 

‘I plan on living in this pillow forever.’ 

Kanaya’s phone goes off. 

‘Karkat wants to know why you aren’t answering your phone.’ 

‘Tell him I’m on the toilet.’ 

‘But…You aren’t?’ Kanaya sounds genuinely confused, bless her cotton socks. 

You roll over and give Kanaya your best puppy dog eyes. It is now her turn to blush. 

‘Find out what he thought for me? But do it subtly. And act like I totally don’t care what he thinks.’ 

Kanaya frows, and gives a little nod. She types away quietly at her palm husk, long nails clacking pleasantly against the screen. She pauses, and he frown deepens, and she types some more. 

‘What did he say?’ 

‘He seems upset that you do not care about his opinion, to the point that you won’t even check your phone.’ 

‘Kanaya! Did you say that?’ 

‘…Is that not what you wanted me to say?’ 

You take a few deep, steadying breaths. 

‘Thanks for your help, Kan,’ you say quietly, hauling yourself upright, and finally opening Karkat’s messages. 

Carcinogeneticist began trolling Tentacletherapist!

Tentacletherapist is idle!

CG: HEY LALONDE.

CG: I READ YOUR WIZARD FICTION.

CG: ARE YOU READY FOR MY TOTALLY EXPERT ANALYSIS OF COMPLACENCY OF THE SCHOOLFED OR WHATEVER THE FUCK IT WAS CALLED.

CG: HEY ARE YOU IGNORING ME?

CG: OH.

CG: KANAYA SAYS YOU ARE IGNORING ME.

CG: WOW FUCK YOU I GUESS.

Tentacletherapist is online!

TT:  My most sincere apologies.

TT: Kanaya seems to have misunderstood the situation somewhat.

TT:  I would actually be very interested in what you have to say.

CG: YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIE TO ME.

CG: ITS NOT EXACTLY SUPRISING THAT YOU DON’T GIVE A SHIT WHAT I THINK.  
  
CG: I MEAN WHAT WOULD *I* KNOW ABOUT WRITING?

CG: THAT WAS SARCASM BY THE WAY. I KNOW A FUCK TONNE ABOUT WRITING

TT: I am certain you do.

TT: And I am not lying. I have actually been awaiting your response for quite some time. Please, offer me your expertise.

CG: WELL, SINCE YOU ASKED SO NICELY.

CG: I ACTUALLY THINK ITS PRETTY GOOD.  
  
CG: IT REALLY CARRIES ACROSS YOUR VOICE. LIKE, NOBODY ELSE COULD HAVE WRITTEN THIS. ITS UNIQUELY *YOU* AND THAT COUNTS FOR A LOT.

CG: IF IT WERE MINE, I’D CUT OUT A LOT OF THE WORDS. BUT IT ISN’T. YOU HAVE A REALLY DISTINCTIVE VOICE THAT WORKS WITH THE STORY YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL.

TT:  Oh.

TT: Thank you. That is genuinely wonderful to hear.

TT: Or I suppose I should say, wonderful to read.

CG: YEAH NO PROBLEM.

TT: Perhaps we could discuss it in more detail next time we talk in person. I would also be interested in reading anything you have written, if that is on the table.

CG: HAHA YEAH MAYBE.

TT: Are you busy right now?

CG: I’M IN CAN TOWN WITH DAVE.

CG: COME ON OVER IF YOU CAN BARE THE OVERWHELMING SMELL OF CHALK AND TIN.

TT: I will be right there.

CG: (:B

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos are appreciated!  
> The next update for this should be in a week or two. I've also got a good number of Homestuck works now, so feel free to check those out if you enjoyed!  
> Take care!


End file.
